Assad's secret escape: Cash airlifted to Russia amid chaos
Before Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fled the country due to the rebels, he transported bags of money, valuables, documents, and disks with important information from Syria, according to unofficial findings by the Reuters agency.
Reuters reported on Thursday that in December 2024, Assad "evacuated" assets using an Embraer Legacy 600 aircraft, which made several flights to the United Arab Emirates and back to Syria within two days before the regime's fall. The agency spoke with 14 Syrian sources who had information about this process. Reuters was unable to determine whether Assad directly managed the operation of asset transportation, but sources emphasized that the mission would have been impossible without the "blessing" of the former leader.
On December 6, the plane made two trips, with Assad's family members and associates leaving Syria on board. The aircraft transported money, paintings, and small sculptures. In the evening of the next day, the plane was loaded with black bags full of cash. Onboard were also hard drives and electronic equipment containing data on finances and properties.
On December 8, when rebels entered Damascus, the airport in the capital ceased operations, and Assad fled to Latakia in western Syria. A plane hired by his advisor at this time departed from Abu Dhabi, headed to Syria, and landed at the Russian base in Hmeimim (Russians were aiding the regime in fighting the rebels). A close associate of Assad then left Syria with $500,000 in cash. Assad, whose whereabouts were concealed until the last moment even from his family, arrived in Russia on December 8, where he received political asylum.
Thirteen years of civil war
The government of Bashar al-Assad, an ally of Moscow, was overthrown in December 2024 by rebel forces that currently hold power in Syria. This was the result of the civil war that began in 2011 in the country.
The new Syrian authorities intend to recover public funds taken out on the eve of the regime's collapse to support the country's economy, a representative of the Syrian authorities told the agency. The authorities do not know how much money the former leader removed from Syria.
In early April, The Moscow Times reported that the Kremlin is trying to maintain its influence in Syria, exploiting the energy crisis that worsened after Bashar al-Assad's ousting. Russia has begun supplying oil and gas to support the new regime, while refusing to extradite the fled dictator, which escalates tensions with Syria's new authorities.
In mid-December last year, the "Financial Times" wrote that the Assad regime transferred about 200 million pounds in cash to Russia when Syria was dependent on Russian military support. The money was deposited in banks in Moscow while the dictator's family invested in local real estate.
